Watch-winding device



July 1, 1924. 1,499,609

J. A. FREUND WATCH WINDING DEVICE Original Filed March 1 8 1919 Patented July 1, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH A. FREUND, OF NEWTONVILLE. MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE KEY- S'IONE HATCH CASE COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA,

TION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- WATCH-WINDING DEVICE.

Application filed March 18, 1919, Serial No. 283,324. Renewed February 3, 1921.

To all wlw/m. t may concern:

Be it known that I, Josu-PH A. FREUND, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Newtonville, county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have made a cer-4 tain new and useful Invention Relating to lVatch-lVinding Devices, of which the fol vlowing is a specification, taken in conne-ction with the accompanying drawing, which forms part of the same.

This invention relates especially to stem winding devices for watches in which the dial plate is of thick heavy construction so as to comprise a large part of the thick'- ness of the watch movement, the bridge members which are preferably in the form `of flat plates of substantially uniform thickness in the parts which are in contact with the dial plate being advantageously maintained in alignment therewith by steady pins which may be removably mounted in `holes in the dial plate, so that these parts may be bored and jewelled from the steady pin holes as described and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 2456,7911, :filed July 26, 1918, which has been patented September 27, 1921, as No. 1,892,006, of which this case is a partial continuation. The dial which may be secured to the other side of the dial plate may be of approximately the same thickness as the bridge members so that the winding stem may have the desired substantially central location in the watch movement by arranging it substantially rcentrally with respect to the thickness of this dial plate. The hole for the stem bearing may be bored or milled out of this heavy dial plate and this hole or recess may be of such size that the winding stem and its clutch and winding pinion which may be arranged wholly within the dial plate if desired, may all be inserted endwise into this hole or recess in the dial plate which greatly facilitates assembly of the parts. Furthermore the winding stem may be supported at its outer end in a re placeable or interchangeable winding pinion thrust block held within the recess in the dial plate so as to form a firm and accurate stem bearing which may also be readily replaced in case of wear caused by the dirt which works in between these parts.

In the accompanying drawing showing in Serial No. 442,324.

a somewhat diagrammatic way illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a transverse central section through the watch movement.

F ig. 2 is a partial top view thereof.

Fig. 3 isa partial sectional view taken through the parts adjacent the winding stem in a direction at right angles to Fig. 1; and l Fig. d is a similar sectional view showing a modified construction.

The use of a relatively thick and heav f dial plate of this character makes it possible to secure greatly increased strength and accuracy of the stem bearings of the watch since the winding stem 24 may be mounted entirely within the 'thick dial plate 1 and practically centrally located with respect thereto as indicated. This dial plate may be formed with suitable recesses, such as 25, 27, 50, for the various parts of the watch movement and the cooperating thin bridge members 2, 3, et, may be secured to the d ial plate and at the same time advantageously held in alignment therewith by steady pins, such as 32, which may have reduced or rounded ends- 33 cooperating with holes 11 in the various bridge members. In this way the jewel and other bearings may be brought into accurate alignment, as is seen in the case of the center bearing jewel 21 in the bridge member 3. The dial 10 secured in any desired way on the other side of Ithe dial plate 1 may as indicated have a tiange forced over and engaging projecting rim portion 12 on the dial plate to assist in maintaining engagement there with..

The winding stem may have the reduced stem pivot I0 mounted in a substantially central bearing hole in the dial plate itself while the outer end of the stem beyond the winding pinion 41 and clutch 34 may, if desired, be supported by a removable thrust block or bearing member 36 for this winding pinion, which may also be formed with a bearing aperture to accommodate the stem adjacent the stem groove 30 for the pendant lever. This thrust bearing member may lit accurately within the thrust block recess 51 in the dial plate as indicated in Fig. 3 and be retained therein as by the locking screw 38 engaging a notch or recess 37 in the thrust block which may not only be replaceable but interchangeable.y rlhrust bearing members of this character may in some cases be advantageously employed to regulate the depth of penetration of the winding pinion 41 in the teeth of the cooperating crown gear 142 by having the central part of this thi-us5 bearing member which cooperates with the aperture :S2/for the winding pinion projectv somewhat further downward therein, so

that as indicated in Fig. l a projecting bearing face 56 may be formed on this thrust block, so that the winding pinion may thus be forced further inward toward the center of the crown wheel and a greater degree of penetration with the teeth thereof be insured. This interchangeable thrust bearing member also has the very decided advantage that it makes completely replaceable and readily renewable this important bearing where'the greatest wear occurs in a watch movement, and in case this bearing wears sufficiently to become loose or objectionable it is a very simple matter to remove this thrust bearing member and replace it by another of the same or slightly different character, so that if desired increased penetration of the pinion may be insured in this way to a sufficient degree to take up the wear which has incidentally occurred in these meshing teeth.

This construction makes possible the formation of the recesses to accommodate the winding pinion clutch and stem pivot by c. single milling or boring operation, the cutter or boring tool being, if desired, formed with different diameter portions adapted to simultaneously form the hole for the stein pivot i0 and also the stepped recesses 5l, '52, 58, for the thrust bearing member and otherv parts, all of these recesses thus being properly located in co-aXial relation so as to ensure the proper fitting and meshing engagement of the cooperating parts. As indicated, the stein maybe formed with a po-` lygonal or square sectionportion 42 above its pivot 40 so that the winding clutch 54 may move longitudinally thereon while ro.- tated by this member, the clutch having a recess 34 with which a resetting lever of any desired construction may cooperate so that either the teeth on this clutch are in mesh with the cooperating teeth which may be formed on the winding pinion, or the gear teeth on'- the other end of this clutch member may when the setting lever is in the other position mesh with the interset wheel 55 to operate the hands by the usual gearing. This construction also has the advantage that the winding stem clutch and winding pinion can all be inserted together with the stem and thrust bearing member through the aperture 5l in the thick dial plate which makes it correspondingly easy to remove these parts for "cleaning or repair without stem may be readily maintained as indicated in Fig. l. i

This invention has been disclosed in connection with a number of illustrative forms. arrangements, proportions, materials and methods of manufacture and use, tothe details of which disclosure the invention is no: of course to be limited, since what is claimed as new and what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is set forth iny the appendedv claims.

l. In watch movements, a thick dial plate, a series of cooperating relatively thin bridge members removably secured to one side of said dial plate, a dial of approximately the saine thickness as said bridge members secured to the other side of said dial plate, a winding stem having at one end a reduced diameter winding stem pivot and having a polygonal portion to rotate therewith the longitudinally movable clutch pinion, la winding pinion secured to said winding stein, there being a series of recesses formed in said dial plate to constitute a bearing aperture for said winding stem yma pivot and to constitute a thrust block recess y of larger diameter than said winding pin- Vion to permit the endwise insertion of said winding stem and cooperatingl parts into said dial plate, and -a winding pinion thrust block removably secured in said thrust block recess t0 determine the penetration of its teeth with the teeth of the cooperatingcrown wheel.

2. In watch movements, a thick dial plate, a winding stem having awinding stem pivot, a winding pinion securedto said winding stem, there being a seriesof recesses formed in said dial plate and coniprising a bearing recess, and a winding stein bearing member secured in saidbearinglre- CGSS.

3. In watch movements, a thick dial' plate,

a winding stem, a winding pinion secured to said winding stein, a bearing recess of at least as large diameter as said winding pinion formed in said dial plate to permit bearing face cooperating with said winding pinion.

Josiirii ii. FREUND. 

